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Cross-Training for Endurance Athletes

High-intensity strength training has been shown to enhance performance in endurance sports.

As a concept, cross-training has been around for quite a while. Simply put, cross-training in an athletic context involves spending some of your training time on something other than your chosen sport. The goal of cross-training is to make sure that an athlete is broadly prepared for physical exertion and performance, beyond the specific demands of their sport. Most sports and physical activities require a specific set of attributes to be successful (e.g. strength, speed, endurance), and each sport requires these in varying amounts. Generally speaking, the training an athlete does should try to support these requirements, but this does not mean that all of your training needs to look exactly like your sport. In fact, current evidence seems to suggest that endurance athletes specifically can actually improve their performance by incorporating high-intensity strength training into their running/cycling/swimming routine.

Here is a very brief summary of 2 more recent reviews that highlight the positive effects of strength training for endurance athletes:

  1. A meta-analysis of 28 studies showed “moderate improvements in middle- and long-distance performance” in endurance athletes that also engaged in strength training. Changes were most notable in energy cost of locomotion and maximal force/power, meaning these athletes became more efficient and could perform better at high intensities. Maximal-force training (i.e. high-intensity) training seemed to be most effective for driving these changes. 

  2. Similarly, a systematic review in 2014 found that “strength training improved time-trial performance, economy, [velocity and work capacity at VO2max] and [maximal anaerobic running velocity] in competitive endurance athletes”. The authors emphasized that those with little to no strength training background did not need a complicated program to reap these benefits, which should be encouraging if the thought of pumping iron intimidates you at all.

So, the results of these reviews, which encompass 54 studies in total, suggest that strength training can improve endurance performance. This highlights the idea that for most endurance events, if an athlete intends to win the race, it is not enough to just have good endurance: Races are actually more a measure of speed endurance than pure endurance. Because of this, being able to exert more force/power/strength at high intensities helps endurance athletes maintain higher intensity for longer, resulting in improved race performance. Not only can strength training improve your endurance sport performance, there is some evidence to suggest that individuals who participate in resistance training more regularly are less likely to be injured while running, specifically. More generally, strength training has been found to be preventative for sports-related injuries as a whole.

If you’re looking for a caveat, here it is: The majority of the studies looking at the effects of strength training on endurance sports has focused on high-intensity strength training, meaning (relatively) heavy weights and significant efforts. That may sound intimidating, but if you’ve been an endurance athlete for any significant amount of time, you’ve already had to learn how to embrace the discomfort of your chosen sport, so applying the same attitude to strength training ought to feel familiar. Furthermore, if you are at all concerned about injuries related to strength training, resistance training has actually been found to have a low overall risk of injury - according to one systematic review, 74% of runners vs 20% of CrossFit athletes experience a moderate to serious injury in a given year. Given this fact and the aforementioned benefits, it is not unreasonable to argue that most, if not all, endurance athletes should be participating in a resistance training program.

If you are an endurance athlete looking to improve your performance and reduce your injury risk, but you’re not sure how to build a program or are uncomfortable with the idea of pushing heavy weights on your own, we can help! Our physical therapists are thoroughly experienced in coaching a wide variety of athletes in resistance training tailored to meet each individual’s needs.




  1. Beattie, K., Kenny, I. C., Lyons, M., & Carson, B. P. (2014). The Effect of Strength Training on Performance in Endurance Athletes. Sports Medicine, 44(6), 845–865. doi: 10.1007/s40279-014-0157-y

  2. Berryman, N., Mujika, I., Arvisais, D., Roubeix, M., Binet, C., & Bosquet, L. (2018). Strength Training for Middle- and Long-Distance Performance: A Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 13(1), 57–64. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2017-0032

  3. Grier, T. L., Canham-Chervak, M., Anderson, M. K., Bushman, T. T., & Jones, B. H. (2017). Effects of physical training and fitness on running injuries in physically active young men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001487

  4. Lauersen, J. B., Bertelsen, D. M., & Andersen, L. B. (2013). The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(11), 871–877. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2013-092538

  5. Meyer, J., Morrison, J., & Zuniga, J. (2017). The Benefits and Risks of CrossFit: A Systematic Review. Workplace Health & Safety, 65(12), 612–618. doi: 10.1177/2165079916685568

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Is Exercise a Panacea?

Explore some lesser-known exercise benefits to learn what else exercise can do for you!

We talk about exercise a lot on this blog. Just in case you think we’re obsessed with it for no good reason, we have assembled a short list of things you might be surprised are positively impacted by exercise. We use “n” in this context to refer to the number of subjects in a study or the number of studies reviewed in a systematic review; the higher the “n”, generally, the more robust the study and the more attention we give to the results. Where possible, we have sought out high-“n” studies and large systematic reviews so that we can be more confident in generalizing and applying these results.

  1. ADHD (Ng)

    1. n = 30 studies

    2. Result: “Physical activity, in particular moderate-to-intense aerobic exercise, is a beneficial and well-tolerated intervention for children and adolescents with ADHD.”

  2. All-cause mortality in older women (Kamada)

    1. n = 28,879 women

    2. Result: “Time in strength training showed a J-shaped association with all-cause mortality in older women. A moderate amount of time in strength training seemed beneficial for longevity, independent of aerobic activity.”

  3. All-cause mortality in adults (Oja)

    1. n = 80,306 adults >30 y/o

    2. Result: Strength exercise, aerobic exercise, and a combination of the two were all associated with decreased all-cause mortality

  4. Alzheimer’s (Morris)

    1. n = 76 older individuals with Alzheimer’s

    2. Result: “Aerobic exercise in early [Alzheimer’s Disease] is associated with benefits in functional ability. Exercise-related gains in cardiorespiratory fitness were associated with improved memory performance.”

  5. Cancer functional outcomes (Stout)

    1. n = 53 studies

    2. Result: “Exercise promotes significant improvements in clinical, functional, and in some populations, survival outcomes and can be recommended regardless of the type of cancer.”

  6. Cognitive capacity in young adults (Opel)

    1. n = 1,206 healthy young adults

    2. Result: Improved walking endurance was associated with improved cognitive function (note that this was not a causative relationship, just identifying a positive correlation between endurance and cognitive function)

  7. Cognitive capacity in older adults (Northey)

    1. n = 36 studies

    2. Result: “Physical exercise improved cognitive function in the over 50’s, regardless of the cognitive status of participants.”

  8. Knee osteoarthritis (Fransen)

    1. n = 54 studies

    2. Result: “Among people with knee osteoarthritis, land-based therapeutic exercise provides short-term benefit that is sustained for at least 2-6 months after cessation of formal treatment.” Benefits included decreased pain, increased function, and quality of life.

  9. Sleep (Kovacevic)

    1. n = 13 studies

    2. Result: “Chronic resistance exercise improves all aspects of sleep, with the greatest benefit for sleep quality.”

So there you have it: A quick review of a handful of the benefits of exercise. And this really is just a handful - the effects of exercise are diverse and significant. One common theme among these studies is that exercise needs to be sufficiently challenging to make changes. If you are unsure of how hard you should be exercising, what mode of exercise might be best for you, or how to start/modify an exercise routine that fits you best, we are here to help! Take a look at our programs page to see what we have on offer right now, and check back regularly for new offerings. If you would like an individual consultation to discuss exercise goals and recommendations, our therapists would be glad to help. Contact us today!




  1. Fransen, M., & Mcconnell, S. (2008). Exercise for osteoarthritis of the knee. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. doi: 10.1002/14651858.cd004376.pub2

  2. Kamada, M., Shiroma, E. J., Buring, J. E., Miyachi, M., & Lee, I. M. (2017). Strength Training and All‐Cause, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer Mortality in Older Women: A Cohort Study. Journal of the American Heart Association, 6(11). doi: 10.1161/jaha.117.007677

  3. Kovacevic, A., Mavros, Y., Heisz, J. J., & Singh, M. A. F. (2018). The effect of resistance exercise on sleep: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 39, 52–68. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2017.07.002

  4. Morris, J. K., Vidoni, E. D., Johnson, D. K., Van Sciver, A., Mahnken, J. D., Honea, R. A., Wilkins, H. M., Brooks, W. <., Billinger, S. A., Swerdlow, R. H., Burns, J. M. Aerobic Exercise for Alzheimer's Disease: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial. Plos One, 12. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0170547.

  5. Ng, Q. X., Ho, C. Y. X., Chan, H. W., Yong, B. Z. J., & Yeo, W.-S. (2017). Managing childhood and adolescent attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with exercise: A systematic review. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 34, 123–128. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2017.08.018

  6. Northey, J. M., Cherbuin, N., Pumpa, K. L., Smee, D. J., Rattray, B. (2017) Exercise Interventions for Cognitive Function in Adults Older than 50: a Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52, 154–160. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2016-096587.

  7. Oja, P., Kelly, P., Pedisic, Z., Titze, S., Bauman, A., Foster, C., … Stamatakis, E. (2016). Associations of specific types of sports and exercise with all-cause and cardiovascular-disease mortality: a cohort study of 80 306 British adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 51(10), 812–817. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2016-096822

  8. Opel, N., Martin, S., Meinert, S., Redlich, R., Enneking, V., Richter, M., Golterman, J., Johnen, A., Dannlowski, U., Repple, J. (2019). White Matter Microstructure Mediates the Association between Physical Fitness and Cognition in Healthy, Young Adults. Scientific Reports, 9. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-49301-y.

  9. Stout, N. L., Baima, J., Swisher, A. K., Winters-Stone, K. M., & Welsh, J. (2017). A Systematic Review of Exercise Systematic Reviews in the Cancer Literature (2005-2017). Pm&r, 9. doi: 10.1016/j.pmrj.2017.07.074

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